Method and apparatus for casting metal



` Sept. 14 1926.

A. P. VREELAND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING METAL Filed .July 3,1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 14 1926` 1,559,801 A. P. VREELAND.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING METAL Filed July v5, 1922 3Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 11.

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Sept. 14, 1926. A. P. VREELAND METHOD AND ABPARATUS Foa CASTING METALFiled July 3, 1922 3 sheets-'sheet :s

Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,599,801 PATENT oFF-ICE.

ALEXANDER VREELAND, OF LANSING, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSlG--IYIENTS, TO METAL & THERMIT CORPORATON, OF CARTERET, NEW JERSEY, AIGUE-PORATO'N OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING METAL.

Application filed July 3,

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for casting meta-l, andmore particularly for casting a metallic part upon a metallic body.

An object of this invention is to provide a method ot casting metalaround a metallic body clamped between the sections of a mold so thatleakage of molten metal between the mold sections is prevented.

Another object of the invention is to pro-v sections permits the use oi'sand molds whenv desired and it is still possible to apply a relativelyhigh pressure to clamp the mold sections together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus forcasting a grey iron or semi-steel hub around the center of a centrallyaperture-d metallic wheel structure such as a disc or an assembly ofspokes in such a manner as to term therewith a substantially unitaryconstruction.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improvedapparatus forclamping relatively tightly mold sections together with a steel discbetween them so that variations in the thickness of the metal arecompensated for to prevent leakage of the molten metal between the moldsections. Also clamping means is provided to clamp a corrugated discbetween mold sections having corrugated rims to compensate forvariations in the corrugations of the disc, as well as the thickness otmetal forming the disc, to prevent leakage of molten metal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatuswhich may be worked with either permanent metallic molds or dry sandmolds for clamping the metallic wheel structure between the moldsections.

Another object of the invention is to pro- 1922. Serial No. 572,385.

duce a simple and eiicient apparatus for the above purposes which can bequickly operated.

In the following description and annexed drawings the invention isdescribed as applied to the formation of a grey iron or semisteel hubupon a corrugated sheet metal disc.

In the annex-ed drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of the sand mold.

Fig. 2 is an axial .section through the mold showing the disc clampedbetween the mold sections and the hub as cast within the mold.

Fig. 3 is an axial section through the mold cope.

lis a bottom plan view of the cope. F 1g. 5 is an axial section throughthe mold core.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the core.

Fig. 7 is an axial section throughthe mold drag.

F 8 is a top plan viewof the drag.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view ot the drag with the core seated therein. Y

Fig. 10 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 taken as indicated by line101O of Fig. 9.

Fig. ll is a plan view of the disc.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the disc with the hub cast thereon.

Fig. 18 is a top plan view showing the mold press with the mold and disctherein. F 1g. 14C is a side elevation of the press.

Fig. l5 is a detail view showing the connection of one of the standardsto the base of the press.

Referring to the annexed drawings, the mold employed for casting a hubupon the metallic wheel structure comprises a cope l, a drag 2 and acore 3. n the drawings is indicated by way otexampl-e a sand moldpreferably a dry sand mold with a suitable binder, as is well-known,though a metallic or permanent mold may be used if desired.

The cope l is composed ot sand pressed into the form of a cylindricalblock with a flat upper tace 4; and a kcentral recess or pouring gate 5,from the bottom of which are narrow passages 6 Jfor the molten metalextending outwardly and then downwardly into the h ub forming recess onthe under side of the cope. The under face of the cope isprovided with acentral projection 7 in the form of a truncated cone, the Hat lower faceof which when the mold is assembled rests upon the upper surface oit'the core 3. Surrounding the central projection 7 on the under face ofthe cope 1 is an annular depression 8 which has a flat bottom to formthe inner face of the hub and which is surrounded by a rim 9 shaped tolit the disc or wheel structure upon which the hub is to be cast. ln thecase shown the rim is corrugated to lit corrugations upon the disc. Airvents 10 extend from the annular' depression 8 to the upper face of thecope to permit escape of gases from the interior of the mold during thecasting operation.

The drag 2 is a cylindrical block of sand of the same diameter the cope1, provided with a flat lower face 11 and having its upper side formedwith a corrugated rim portion 12 within which is a iiat bottomed annulardepressed portion 13 for forming the outer hub plate. A series ofregularly spaced square bosses or projections 111 are formed upon theflat bottom of the portion 13, which serve to 'form countersinlrs in theouter 'tace plate tor the heads of attaching bolts. A Core centeringrecess 15 having a flat bottom and a conical wall is formed at thecenter of the drag 2. The upper portion of the recess 15 is enlarged,forming a shoulf er 1G intermediate the top and bottom of the recess 15,and the wall of the enlarged portion is rounded to correspond to therounded outer face of the hub flange.

The core 3 is formed to provide at its lower end a supporting andcentering body portion 17 in the form of a truncated cone adapted to litwithin the lower portion of the recess 15 in the drag with its flatbottom face resting upon the flat bottom of the recess 1o. Projectingoutwardly and inclined upwardly from the body portion 17 is a flangeportion 13 having its lower 'l'ace curved to correspond to the curve-dupper portion of the wall of the recess 15 in the drag. The downwardlyprojecting portion of the body 17 of the core 3 .is of suflicient heightto space. the flange 13 above the npper portion wall of the recess 15when the core is placed therein at a distance corresponding to thethickness of the hub flange to be cast in the mold. Projecting radiallyoutward from the edOe of the circular flange 13 are a series ofregularly spaced longand short projections 19 and 20,- which .serve to`form recesses within the cast hub to lighten thejsame. A recess 21 isformed in the top of the core within the upwardly inclined flange 18 toreceive the central projection 7 on the under side ot the cope. Thediameter ot' the flat bottom ot' the recess 21 is somewhat greater thanthat of the bottom face of the projection 7 so that the upper tace ofthe flange 13 is spaced from the conical face of the projection 7 at adistance corresponding to the thickness of the inner flange of the hubto be cast. e series otl regularly spaced apertures 22 are lormedthrough the flange 18 for the purpose ot forming a series of rivet likeintegral stiftening members between the inner and outer flanges of thehub.

1n assembling the parts for casting the hub upon a corrugated disc iorexample, the corrugated disc 23 is laid upon the drag 2 with itscorrugations gated rim 12 thereof and with its central aperture 2li:centered with resp-ect thereto. The core 3 is then placed upon the drag2 with its centering projection 17 ezztcndin'r through the aperture ofthe disc and reso ing upon the bottom of the recess 15 in the drag, andwith its long radial projections 1Q positioned within alternatedepressions in thc corrugated dise 2d and with its short projections 2Owithin intermediate depressions opposite the countersinlr, formingprojections 14 in the depressed portion of the drag 2. The cope 1 isthen placed upon the top of the disc 23 with its central projection 7resting upon the bottom of the recess 21 of the core and with itscorrugated rim portion 9 fitting upon the upper face of the disc. Asuitable gas vent is provided in the bottom of the mold by a passage 10nextending from the interior of the core 3 through the bottom wall of thedrag 2.

ln casting the molten metal is poured into the gate 5 and runsthroughnthe passages 6 to the chamber formed by the compiementalrecesses in the cope and drag. The circumterentially disposed passages Ghave their outlets into the mold chamber within the central aperture 24of the disc so that the molten metal is free to flow betwezzn the edgeof the aperture 211 and the projcce tion 7 to the recesses in the dragMetal from the passages 6 flows into the space between the upper face ofthe disc 23 and the fiat bottom of the depression 8 in the cope 1 andaround the radial projections 19 and 2f) in the depressions of the disc,to forin thc inner face plate 25 oit the hub; between the centra-lprojection 7 of the cope 1 and thc flange 13 ot the core to form theinner flange 2G of the huh; through the aperture 2st of Ithe disc 23into the annular flat bottomed outer portion 13 and around theprojections 14 therein toform the outer :tace plate 27 ot the hub withthe countersinls 23 therein; between the liange 1S and wall ot recess 15in the drag 2 to form the outer flange 29 of the hub; and through theapertures 22 in the flange 18 of the core to form the rivet likestif'fening connections 30 between the flanges 26 and 28 of the hub. Theprojections 19 and 2O serve to provide recesses within the casting inthe depression on the inner side of the disc. The short recesses in thecasting opposite the countersinlrs 23 leave the casting solid oppositethe counterfitting in the corrulill sinks 28, so that the bolt holes canbe drilled through solid metal and the bolts will draw upon solidportions of the casting. VAfter the hub is cast the cope 1 and drag 2are removed and maybe4 used again. The cores 3, however, are broken upin removal from th-e casting.

When a wheel structure such as a disc is used between the parts of themoldthe mold must be forced together with suiiicient pressure tocompensate for the variations in the thickness of the metallic stock ofthe disc to prevent leakage of molten metal between the rims of the moldsections and upon the disc. Also in case a corrugat-ed disc orrelatively thin metal be used, it is somewhat flexible or yieldablelaterally in the hills and valleys of the corrugations near the centralaperture of the disc. In the molding operation, therefore, it isnecessary that sufficient pressure be applied to compensate forrelatively slight irregularities in the corrugations. 'Ihese may be dueeither to defects in the dies forming the corrugations or to the grainIor physical condition of the metallic stock used, for it is well-knownthat in forming discs from sheets having a grain structure, even thoughthe dies be perfect certain of the corrugations have a tendency tospring or distort slightly so that when the-disc is removed from thedies the corrugations are not all uniform in curvature. Also, thepressure must force the mold sections sufiiciently tightly together toclamp the discs between them to compensate for any differences incontour between the corrugations of the mold sections and corrugationsof the discs. It will thus be seen that with the use of my molds andpress herein disclosed according` to my method the mold sections willclamp between, them a metallic structure contacting with a relativelylarge portion of the opposing mold surfaces suficiently tightly tocompensate for irregularities in such structure and prevent leakage ofmolten metal from the mold.

To secure means for forcing the mold sections together to clamp thewheel structure between them I have provided the mold press shown inFigs. 13, 14 and 15 for holding the molds during the casting of the hub.The mold press has a base 31 upon which is mounted a fluid cylinder' 32,preferably pneu matic, provided with suitable connections for admittingand relieving pressure beneath the piston 33 which has a rod 34extending through the upper end of the cylinder. The piston rod 34 has arounded upper end 35 upon which is supported the drag engaging plate 36provided with a rounded socket 37 in the bottom thereof fitting upon therounded end of the piston rod 34. Standards 38 are attached to collars39 journaled upon pins 40 at the ends of the base 31. The collars 39have'lateral lugs 41 in which are mounted set screws 42 engaging lugs 43upon the ends of the base 31. l By adjusting th-e set screws 42 theinclination of the standards can be varied. A cross bar 44 connects theupper ends of the standards 38 and is adjustably supported at its endsby lower nuts 45 and held upon the nuts 42 by upper nuts 46 and 47. Thecentral portion of the cross bar 44 is enlarged to provide a flat plate48 to engage the upper face of the cope. After the mold sections areassembled upon the disc 23, the mold is placed upon the supporting plate36 and pressure applied to the piston 33 to force the mold intoengagement with the upper plate 48. By reason of the ball and socketconnection between the piston rod 34 and the plate 36 a substantiallyuniformly distributed pressure is applied to the mold. By sodistributing the pressure I am enabled to apply considerable pressureeven to sand molds without injury thereto, and by applying pressure tothe molds the joints between the contiguous faces of the mold sectionsand disc ar-e made tight, so that there is no leakage of metal betweenthem.

By way of example I have found that good results may be obtained byapplying a pressure of approximately eighty pounds per square inch tothe surfaces of sand molds, for such pressure substantially preventsleakage between the mold sections. It

is to be understood, however, that the pressure may be varied for thevarious sizes of molds and material clamped between the mold sections.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular forms 'ofapparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth,are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and thatvarious modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be madewithout departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The process of molding which consists in applying a relatively highpressure to the parts of a sand meld, to clamp an intervening` metallicmember therebetween and molding metal around such member.

2. The method of casting a metallic hub upon a metallic wheel whichconsists in forming complementary sand mold sections, having theiropposed faces formed to receive between them the part of the wheelsurrounding a central aperture, and having complemental recesses toreceive the metal to form the hub, clamping the wheel between said moldsections, applying pressure to the mold sections, and pouring moltenmetal into the molds to form the hub.`

3. The method of casting a metallic hub uponv a metallic wheel having acentral aper- Cil ture which consists in forming' sand mold sectionshaving their opposed faces formed to receive between them the part otthe Wheel which surrounds s aid aperture, and provided with complementalrecesses conforming' to the outer faces ot the hub to be cast, 'forminga sand core conforming'v to the interior portion oit the hub, assemblingsaid mold sections with the wheel and coreV be tween them applying'pressure to the mold sections, pouring molten metal into the mold toform the hub, permitting said metal to cool and solidify, and removingsaid mold sections.

il. The method ot casting' a metallic hub upon a corrugated disc having'a central aperture which comprises forming' a sand mold drag with aperipheral rim portion corrugated to conform to the contour ot the disc,and with a depressed portion inside the rim, the outer portion ot whichconforms to one side of the hub and the center oi" which forms a corereceiving' and centering' portion, forming a core corresponding to theinterior portion ot' the hub and a cope having` a rim portioncorresponding to the contour of the disc, and a depressed portioncorresponding to the oppo-site tace ot the disc, positioning the discupon the dragu inserting the core through the aperture ot' the disc intoengagement with the centering' portion of the drag, placing the copeupon the upper surface of the disc, applying pressure to the cope anddrag to lirmly clamp them upon the disc, and pouring molten metal intothe mold.

5. A sectional mold comprising' a drag having its upper tace formed toprovide a rim portion, a Vdepression at its center, a core member seatedin said depression and provided with a flange, a cope having' its lowertace provided with a rim corresponding' to the rim of the drag, saidcope having a member to engage the center of the core, and said corehaving a flange spaced from both the cope and drag' to forni discs whenthe metal is poured. u

6. A sectional mold comprising a drag' and cope, each havingcomplementary corrugated rim portions tor engaging with a corrugatedmetallic disc, one ot said mold sections having' a depression and theother a. projection, a core itting in the depression ot one, andreceiving the projection ot the other, and 'having a iiang'e extending'between said sections, said sections of the core being shaped to mold acentrally apertured pair oi' hub plates around the'center'ot saidmetallic disc. y A

7. A sectional mold for hubs comprising' a drag' having its upper faceformed to provide a rim portion, a depressed portion inside the rim anda deeper depression at its center, a core member seated in saiddepression and provided with a fiang'e overhang'ing and spaced trom saiddepressed portion, and a cope having its lower face provided with a rimportion corresponding in contour to the rim of the drag, an annulardepressed ,portion inside the rim, and a central core engagingprojection, said cope having' a pouring gate formed therein.

8. A sand mold for casting' a metallic hub upon a corrugated disc,comprising' a drag having its upper tace formed with a rim portioncorrugated to conform tothe oontour ot the disc, a central corereceiving and centering recess, and a shallow recess surrounding saidcentering recess, a core having' a projecting' portion adapted to tit insaid centering' recess, a flange adapted to overhang' said shallowrecess, and Aradial projections from the liang'e adapted to extendwithin corrugations of the disc, and a cope having' a central projectionengageable with said core, a shallow recess surrounding said projectionand a rim portio-n corrugated to conform to the contour of the disc,said cope being formed with a pouring' gate.

9. A sectional mold comprising' a` cope and drag having rim portions,depressions in said sections, a core member engaging the cope and drag,and having' an overhanging' flange spaced between said depressions, saidcore having' apertures therethrough connecting with said depressions to:form integral connecting members between the spaced discs formed in thedepressions by the molten.metal.

10. The method oi casting' a metallic part upon a metallic body w lichconsists in forming' complementary sand mold sections having' theiropposed 'faces formed to receive betweenthem the metallic body andhaving complemental recesses to receive the metal to 'form the metallicpart, clamping the metallic body between said mold sections, applyingpressure to the mold section, and pouring metal into the molds to formthe netallic part.

n testimony whereof' atlix my signature.

ALEXANDER P. VREELAND.

